Elevator drier



June 7, 1 966 R. M. CARRIER, JR

ELEVATOR DRIER Filed Aug. 20, 1962 2' Sheets-Sheet I June 7, 1966 R. M. CARRIER, JR 3,254,425

ELEVATOR DRIER Filed Aug. 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,254,425 ELEVATQR DRIER RobertM. Carrier, Jr., Louisville, Ky., assignor to Carrier Manufacturing (10., a corporation of Kentucky Filed Aug. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 218,087 8 Claims. (Cl. 34-135) This invention relates to material handling equipment, and in particular, to an elevator for lifting material capable of being moved horizontally as by a horizontally arranged conveyor. Thus, the elevator is arranged to elevate discrete elements, fluids, continuous media, pulverulent or granular material and the like.

The conventional forms of elevators for elevating such material have several serious disadvantages. One form of such an elevator utilizes a plurality of buckets carried on a vertically arranged chain structure which are carried upwardly by the chain structure to elevate material carried in the buckets. This apparatus is relatively costly and has a high maintenance requirement. Another form of elevator is one wherein a conveyor of the type arranged to carry material horizontally, such as a belt conveyor, is elevated at a relatively small angle limited by the tendency of the material to fall back on the inclined conveyor. This form of elevator has the very serious disadvantage of requiring substantial space, and as it must be relatively long for a given height it is relatively costly and requires substantial maintenance.

The present invention comprehends an improved elevator which eliminates the disadvantages of the above discussed elevators in a novel and simple manner and provides a highly efficient and economical elevation of the material. Thus, a principal feature of the invention is the provision of a new and improved elevator.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such an elevator wherein centrifugal force is utilized in conjunction with an upward translation force to effect the desired elevation of the material.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such an elevator wherein a material-supporting surface is arranged to extend upwardly at any one of a plurality of preselected angles including an angle of 90 to the horizontal and is rotated in annular path so as to cause the of such an elevator wherein the translating means comprises plow means arranged to plow the material and throw it upwardly as it is rotated with the rotating means.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such an elevator wherein means are provided for delivering fluid into contact with the material as it is thrown by the plow means so as to permit the fluid to act on the material, such as in mixing and processing, in a highly efiicient and economical manner.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of such an elevator having new and improved means for supporting the plow means to effect the desired translation of the material in the elevator.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical diametric section of an elevator embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section thereof taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of one set of plows thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a diametric elevation of another form of elevator embodying theinvention;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section thereof taken substantially along the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary diametric elevation of still another form of elevator embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal section thereof taken substantially along the line 77 of FIGURE -6.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in FIGURES 1 through 3 in the drawing, an elevator generally designated 10 is shown to comprise a cylinder 11 rotatably journalled as by upper bearing 12 and lower bearing 13. The bearings 12 and 13 are carried on a fixed upright column 15 which extends upwardly through a cylindrical discharge chute 16 extending about the upper end of the cylinder 11, and downwardly through a hopper 37 extending about the lower end of the cylinder. The material M to be elevated in elevator apparatus 10 is delivered to the hopper by suitable means (not shown), and is thrown upwardly against the inner surface 17 of the cylinder 11 by means of a plurality of inclined plows 18 coacting with a frusto-conical guide 19 concentric with the lower end of the column 15. The disclosed apparatus for delivering the material M to the lower end of the cylinder 11 is illustrative only, it being understood that other suitable forms of delivery apparatus may be utilized to effect the desired delivery. I

Cylinder 11 is rotated on bearings 12 and 13 by means of a belt 39 driven by a pulley 20 on the drive shaft 21 of a suitable motor 22 fixed to a frame. The belt 39 engages a suitable annular track 23 extending around the cylinder 11, as shown in FIGURE 1. tion of the cylinder 11 is made to be suflicient to cause the material M to be urged against the surface 17 of cylinder 11 by centrifugal force enough to prevent the falling of the material back down into hopper 37 by the action of gravity. p

' The material M thus delivered to the surface 17 of cylinder .11 free is held on the surface in a layer by the centrifugal force. To effect an upward translation of this material, a plurality of plows 24 are fixedly secured within the cylinder to plow into the material and throw it up-' wardly in the form of a veil. The plows are arranged in circumferentially and axially spaced association with each other so that the material thrown upwardly by a preceding plow is next engaged by a succeeding plow and is thrown further upwardly to the next succeeding plow. This action is repeated seriatim by the entire plurality of plows which thereby eifect an elevation of the material from the lower end of the cylinder 11 adjacent hopper 37 upwardly from the upper end of. the cylinder into the discharge chute 16. In the embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 3, the plows 24 are carried on short rod supports 25 fixed to a plurality of uprights 26 carried on cross-aims 27 secured to column 15. by suitable clamps 28 at the upper and lower ends of the uprights. In the illustrated embodiment, two sets of plows are shown.

The material M discharged from the upper end of cylinder 11 is discharged against a frusto-conical deflector 29 carried on the upper end of cylinder 11 by suitable brackets 30. The deflector deflects the material downwardly into the annular space 31 within the discharge chute 16. As shown in FIGURE 1, the discharge chute The speed of rota- V includes a downwardly inclined bottom wall 32 which directs the material M delivered into space 31 toward an outlet 33.

As discussed briefly above, the operation of elevator 10 is extremely simple and eflicient. The material M delivered to hopper 37 is directed onto the inner surface 17 of the cylinder 11 by the plows 18 where a layer thereof forms which, when sufliciently thick to :be engaged by the. plows 24, permits the innermost portion of the material to be thrown upwardly by the lowermost plows 24 to the next superjacent plows as the material is freely supported on the cylinder as a result of the rotation thereof. This upward .throwing action is continued seriatim by the plows until the material is finally delivered through the top of the cylinder and through the discharge chute 16 to a point of delivery. The material is continuously urged against the inner surface 17 of the cylinder by the centrifugal force developed by the rotation of the cylinder'and the kinetic energy stored in the material by the rotation of the cylinder is utilized by the plows to effect the desired upward translation. The plows may be closely spaced from the inner surface 17, and may be provided with curved surfaces 34 adjacent cylinder surface 17 to minimize the space therebetween and thereby minimize the thickness of the layer of material M on the cylinder surface 17.

Turning now to the embodiment of FIGURES 4 and 5, a modified form of elevator generally designated 1.10 is shown to utilize the broad concepts embodied in elevator :10. In elevator apparatus 110, however, means are provided for effectively .utilizing the exposed condition of the material While it is being thrown by the plows, as for treating the material, e.g. drying the material, chemically treating the material, etc. To this end, an inner cylinder 135 is coaxially fixed within rotating cylinder 111. The plows 124 are fixedly secured to the exterior of inner cylinder 135 to coact with material on the inner surface 117 of the cylinder 111 in the same manner as plows 24 coact with the material on surface 17 of cylinder 11 in apparatus 10. However, cylinder 135 is further provided with a plurality of holes 136 adapted to pass a gaseous fluid outwardly .therethrough into the annular space 138 between cylinder 135 and cylinder 11 1. Said gaseous fluid is delivered into the interior 139 of cylinder 135 through a suitable tubular inlet 140. After passing through the annular space 138 the fluid is exhausted through a tubular outlet 141 communicating with a chamber 142 in the lower end of cylinder 135 and separated from space 139 by a dividing wall 143. The fluid is further exhausted from the space 138 by downward flow into hopper 1137, and thence upwardly from the hopper, as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 4. Thus, as the material is thrown up in a veil form by the plows 124, it is discretely exposed to the fluid passed from inlet 140 through the cylinder into space 138. The material may be in veil form, as it is thrown by the respective scoops, substantially over fifty percent of the time it is in the cylinder 111, and thus not only does the apparatus 110 provide a desired elevation of the material but also provides an improved material treatment and processing means having substantially greater' efficiencies than in conventional apparatus such as rotary kilns where the material is in well form much less of the time. Thus, for example, in drying material such as sand, the heated air, being exposed to the same particles over fifty percent of the time they are in the elevator 110, quickly and etficiently effects the drying thereof.

In describing apparatus 110, reference numerals similar to but one hundred higher than the reference numerals applied to corresponding elements of apparatus 10 have been employed. Other than discussed above. relative to the treatment of the material as it is conveyed upwardly in the elevator 110, the elevator 110 functions similarly to the elevator 10.

Turning now to FIGURES 6 and 7, a third arrangement of elevator apparatus embodying the invention is shown to comprise an elevator generally designated 210 wherein the plows 224 are fixed to the distal ends of arms 225 extending radially outwardly from a clamp 228 secured to the central column 215. This arrangement of the plows is particularly advantageous where the diameter of the rotatable cylinder 211 is relatively small. In all other respects, the elevator 210 is similar to elevator 10 and functions in a similar manner.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An elevator for elevating material capable of being moved horizontally by means of a horizontally arranged conveyor, said elevator comprisnig: a conduit which extends at a substantial angle to the horizontal and is mounted for rotation about an axis spaced from the surface of the conduit and extending longitudinally of the conduit, means for rotating the conduit about said axis at a speed sufficient to cause the material to be urged against the surface of the conduit by centrifugal force enough to prevent the falling of the material downward by the action of gravity, and means for propelling the material along said surface in the upward direction while the material is held in the conduit by centrifugal force.

2. The elevator of claim 1 wherein the propelling means comprises a stationary deflector mounted in the path of rotation of material in the conduit for deflecting the material upward from its path of rotation.

3. The elevator of claim 1 wherein the propelling means comprises a plurality of axially spaced stationary deflectors mounted in the path of rotation of material in the conduit for deflecting the material upward from its path of rotation.

4. The elevator of claim 1 comprising: cylindrical means about the upper end of the conduit for receiving the material and guiding it to a point of collection.

5. An elevator for elevating material capable of being moved horizontally by means of a horizontally arranged conveyor, said elevator comprising: a hollow cylinder which has its axis extending at a substantial angle to the horizontal and is mounted for rotation on its axis, means for rotating the cylinder on its axis at a speed suflicient to cause the material to be urged against the inner surface of the cylinder by centrifugal force enough to prevent the falling of the material downward by the action of gravity, and means for propelling the material along said surface in the upward direction while the material is held against said surface by centrifugal force.

6. The elevator of claim 5 wherein the propelling means comprises a stationary deflector extending adjacent to the inner surface of the cylinder for deflecting the material upward along said surface while the material is held against said surface by centrifugal force.

7. An elevator for elevating material capable of being moved horizontally by means of a horizontally arranged conveyor, said elevator comprising; a first hollow cylinder which has its axis extending at a substantial angle to the horizontal and is mounted for rotation on its axis, means for rotating the cylinder on its axis at a speed sufficient to cause the material to be urged against the inner surface of the cylinder by centrifugal force enough to prevent the falling of the material downward by the action of gravity, a second hollow cylinder coaxially fixed within the first cylinder, a deflector carried on the second cylinder and extending adjacent to the inner surface of the first cylinder for deflecting the material upward along said surface while the material is held against said surface by centrifugal force, and means for passing a gas out- 5 6 wardly from the second cylinder to act on the material- 2,804,920 9/1957 Perkins 15914 8. The elevator of claim 7 wherein the means for 2,907,517 10/1959 Ziherl. passing a gas comprises a plurality of radial openings in 2,984,860 5/ 1961 Thomas 259-82 X the second cylinder.

5 FOREIGN PATENTS References the Examiner 24 Great i i 1229 524 s??? ZZE 34 137 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

osen 1,852,646 4/1932 Fowler 26362 GEORGE MITCHELL Examme" 2,542,270 2/1951 Zahm 159-6 10 J. SOFER, I. F. OCONNOR, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ELEVATOR FOR ELEVATING MATERIAL CAPABLE OF BEING MOVED HORIZONTALLY BY MEANS OF A HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED CONVEYOR, SAID ELEVATOR COMPRISING: A CONDUIT WHICH EXTENDS AT A SUBSTANTIAL ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL AND IS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS SPACED FROM THE SURFACE OF THE CONDUIT AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CONDUIT, MEANS FOR ROTATING THE CONDUIT ABOUT SAID AXIS AT A SPEED SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE MATERIAL TO BE URGED AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE CONDUIT BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE FALLING OF THE MATERIAL DOWNWARD BY THE ACTION OF GRAVITY, AND MEANS FOR PROPELLING THE MATERIAL ALONG SAID SURFACE IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION WHILE THE MATERIAL IS HELD IN THE CONDUIT BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE. 